Pumice aggregate, with its highly porous structure, offers excellent lightweight and insulating characteristics; however, its excessive water absorption and weak interfacial bonding often limit its mechanical and durability performance in concrete applications. To overcome these drawbacks, this study developed a polymer-coated pumice aggregate (PCPA) concrete by applying a thin polyester layer onto the aggregate surface to enhance matrix–aggregate adhesion and reduce permeability. The mechanical, thermal, and acoustic performances of PCPA were systematically evaluated. Results revealed that polyester coating led to a notable improvement in compressive strength (up to 25%) and significantly reduced weight loss after freeze–thaw cycles. Furthermore, PCPA samples exhibited enhanced resistance to thermal degradation, maintaining structural stability even at 600 °C, and achieved a 40% higher sound absorption coefficient at 630 Hz compared to uncoated pumice concrete. These findings demonstrate that polyester coating effectively addresses the inherent limitations of pumice concrete, offering a promising approach for producing lightweight concretes with superior durability and multifunctional performance.
Bideci et al. (Sat,) studied this question.